Known alignment guides are of two parts--one vertically elongated part mounted on the trailer and the other vertically elongated part mounted on the towing vehicle. These guides are used by aligning the vertically elongated parts until they touch, to indicate visually to the driver of the towing vehicle that the vehicle is in position for joining to the trailer for connecting the trailer hitch. Such devices require that two separate parts be stored and that two separate parts be positioned for use. Such two-part systems are described in the following patents: Tague, U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,599; Lehtisaari, U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,746; Myers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,526; Miller, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,264; Garrison, U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,481; Sand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,176 and Suter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,788.
A one-piece device marketed as the "TadPole" trailer alignment device, by Spectra Technologies of Arlington, Tex., includes a fiberglass pole strapped to the trailer hitch on the trailer. This device must be removed before the trailer hitch can be connected to the ball hitch on the vehicle since it covers over the socket on the trailer hitch into which the ball portion of the hitch fits. The lowest portion of the device, below the socket, touches the towing vehicle when the vehicle is in position for connecting the trailer hitch. The driver of the vehicle can see an upper portion of the device as he backs the vehicle into place, but cannot see where the vehicle and trailer alignment guide touch.